Multivariate Approaches Boosting Lithium-Mediated Ammonia Electrosynthesis in Different Electrolytes.

Ammonia electrosynthesis through the lithium-mediated approach has recently reached promising results towards high activity and selectivity in aprotic media, reaching high Faradaic efficiency (FE) values and NH3 production rates. To fasten the comprehension and optimization of the complex lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction system, for the first time a multivariate approach is proposed as a powerful tool to reduce the number of experiments in comparison with the classical one-factor-at-a-time approach. Doehlert design and surface response methodology are employed to optimize the electrolyte composition for a batch autoclaved cell.

Long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis.

Ammonia is crucial as a fertilizer and in the chemical industry and is considered to be a carbon-free fuel. Ammonia electrosynthesis from nitrogen under ambient conditions offers an attractive alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, and lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction represents a promising approach to continuous-flow ammonia electrosynthesis, coupling nitrogen reduction with hydrogen oxidation. However, tetrahydrofuran, which is commonly used as a solvent, impedes long-term ammonia production owing to polymerization and volatility problems.

Phenol as proton shuttle and buffer for lithium-mediated ammonia electrosynthesis.

Ammonia is a crucial component in the production of fertilizers and various nitrogen-based compounds. Now, the lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction (Li-NRR) has emerged as a promising approach for ammonia synthesis at ambient conditions. The proton shuttle plays a critical role in the proton transfer process during Li-NRR.

Calcium-mediated nitrogen reduction for electrochemical ammonia synthesis.

Ammonia (NH) is a key commodity chemical for the agricultural, textile and pharmaceutical industries, but its production via the Haber-Bosch process is carbon-intensive and centralized. Alternatively, an electrochemical method could enable decentralized, ambient NH production that can be paired with renewable energy. The first verified electrochemical method for NH synthesis was a process mediated by lithium (Li) in organic electrolytes.